


Cooking Is Important

by Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est



Category: Kings (TV 2009)
Genre: Cooking, Discussion of Torture, First Kiss, Fluff, Jack Benjamin needs a hug, M/M, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Sharing a Bed, Silas Benjamin's A+ Parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 02:18:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13308318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est/pseuds/Vita_sine_fantasy_mors_est
Summary: Two important meals for Jack and David





	Cooking Is Important

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gryzdolnik](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gryzdolnik/gifts).



An exhausted looking Jack Benjamin stumbled into David Shepherd's campsite one afternoon several months after David himself had arrived there, bruised, rail thin, one arm hanging at his side, wearing dirty, slightly tattered clothing and worn out shoes, with a small black bag slung over one shoulder.

"Jack!! You're alive!! How'd you get out? How'd you find me? What happened to you?"

David raced over to Jack and just looked at him. Jack looked horrible, like he hadn't slept in a week or eaten in almost that long. 

Jack was staring at David in turn, "You're ok, you're still alive, you look good, I'm sorry, for everything, and for just turning up here."

"Jack, come over and sit down before you fall over, and you can tell me how you found me." 

David had a huge smile on his face, even seeing Jack in such terrible condition, and he reached out a hand to steady Jack as he sat down on one of the logs, but Jack flinched away violently before David could touch him. David pulled back his hand, looking worried, and asked, "Do you want anything? Food, something to drink, want me to look at your arm?"

"Food and something to drink would be great if you've got anything, and my arm's a mess, but I can deal with it later, it's not going to kill me, and another hour can't hurt it anymore." 

That last part was like normal Jack, but it lacked any bite or force, which worried David. He hoped that Jack's arm wasn't permanently damaged and that whatever was wrong with it could be at least helped by the very basic first aid and very limited supplies David had available. 

David passed Jack a waterskin and set about making him something to eat. When Jack had put the water aside, David asked, "how did you find me without being noticed?"

David divided his attention between Jack and the food he was making, not wanting to look away from Jack so he didn't disappear, and also not wanting to start any forest fires right now.

"God helped me, for some reason. Silas had me locked up, with Lucinda, but I tried the door every day anyway, and a couple days ago it just opened and this bag was right outside with a couple granola bars, a blanket, and some water, and I felt something pulling me down one of the corridors, and so I went and I didn't run into anyone and the one time someone passed near me, they didn't seem to see me, so I kept walking and eventually ended up here. I think it took three days, it's a little bit fuzzy, and the whole time no one saw me or recognized me and I didn't run into any trouble. I used up the last of my water this morning and ate the last piece of granola bar last night, so I was hoping I'd find someone or something soon. I don't know why God brought me here or why he decided to help me now, and all I want to do is eat something that will hopefully stay down and sleep for a week."

"Oh wow, that's really interesting!! Are you sick, is that why you're worried about food staying down?"

Jack scoffed, "you're still so naive David. No, I'm not sick, that's just what happens when you eat after not having had any food for two weeks."

Jack said that so blandly it took David half a second to process and then he shuddered.

"Did Silas torture you? Is that what the bruises are from?"

The hand of Jack's good arm seemed to instinctively go up to touch his back at David's words, but Jack himself only nodded. David poked at the fire before saying, trying to keep his voice as calm and non-judgemental as possible, "Jack, did Silas lock you up with Lucinda to try to get an heir out of you?"

"Yes!" Jack vehemently spit the word out, and then lept up so he was towering over David and shouted, "Yes David, Thomasina, on my father's orders locked me up with a woman I mostly despised and told me I wouldn't be let out until I produced an heir, because he knew I was gay! And then tortured me when I was obstinate. Happy?!"

Jack was glaring at David and breathing hard, and the glare only intensified when David asked, "Can I touch you?"

But Jack nodded, and David stepped around the fire and cautiously wrapped Jack in a firm hug, worrying about how thin he was.

Something in Jack broke and he sagged against David, wrapping his good arm around David's shoulders and sobbing broken, painful sounding sobs into David's shoulder. David just held onto Jack as he sobbed and gently rubbed his back like he'd done with his younger brothers when they were little, while ignoring the slightly raised scars crisscrossing Jack's back. It took a while for Jack to get all his emotions out and to stop sobbing and pull back and David was very glad that it took a long time to cook anything over a fire.

"Jack?"

"I'm alright. Thank you David. You've given me more chances than I deserve."

"Well, I'm trying to make up for all the second chances no one else ever gave you," David looked hard at Jack, "you're a good man Jack Benjamin, you've just been dealt a hard lot in life, and yes, you've made some mistakes, but you're a good person, and if I know one thing about God, it's that he always does things for a reason." 

They talked a bit longer and then the food was ready, and Jack insisted that David have some also and they sat in companionable silence for a while. After a while, David could tell that Jack wanted to ask him something, but was worried about the reaction maybe.  
Eventually Jack seemed to work up the courage and asked, "Could I potentially share your bedroll? Silas took Lucinda away a while ago, and I'm hoping if there's someone else there, my brain won't try to pass this off as a really nice dream."

"Of course you can Jack. I also have some clothes you can borrow if you want."

"I'm fine with these for now."

By some miracle, Jack actually managed to sleep through the night, and having David there did help him remember that he was out, he was safe, it wasn't a dream.

 *******

3 months later  
Jack could never have thought three months ago that he would willingly come back to Shiloh, back to the palace permanently, and again to work for a king, though this time, the king was David, and he was the king's chief advisor and honorary 2nd in command of the military. Jack was in one of the palace kitchens, cooking dinner for David as part of his ongoing thank you for everything David had done, and David was helping because he was nosy and enthusiastic and because Jack's one arm still wasn't 100 percent, and probably wouldn't ever be, thanks to Silas's torturers and how long it had been before his arm had gotten even basic medical care (also courtesy of David). 

"David, can you pass me the salt? And try this." 

Jack took the salt from David, sprinkled some into the pot and then held out a spoon of sauce for David to try. David slurped the sauce down, gave Jack a thumbs up, and then leaned over and kissed Jack on the lips, quickly but deliberately.  
Jack kissed back enthusiastically, and then pulled back and stared at David, who smiled like an idiot.

"I've wanted to do that for a really long time, I'm sorry if I overstepped or-"

"No, no, definitely not," Jack interrupted, "but I thought you were straight, and that my brain had gone all loopy from being locked up. So you were flirting with me? Because you really need to work on your technique."

"I'm bisexual, I'm attracted to both men and women, and yes, I was flirting with you. In my defense, I haven't had a lot of practice flirting with guys. Can I kiss you again?" 

David was still smiling like an idiot, but a somewhat devious idiot, and Jack, after making sure to turn off the stove, reached up and held David's face in his hands and kissed David firmly. David kissed back and they stood like that for a long time until they were both in need of air, at which point they broke off kissing and Jack returned to cooking so they would have time to eat before David had things to do, but this time David snuck in small kisses as he helped Jack cook.


End file.
